Five officers completed certification after attending the NMLETC Class B-81 graduation in Tupelo following an intense 12-week training program, a department Facebook post said.
The post identified the graduates and noted special recognitions: Tuezdie Garcia received the third Academic Award; Andrew Latham received the third Firearms and the Peer Award; Lakendrick Allen received the Top Cop and second PT Award. Hunter Paddock and Seth Phillips were also listed among the newly certified officers.
NMLETC is a regional law enforcement training center that offers basic certification courses and continuing education for officers. Basic academy programs commonly cover defensive tactics, firearms training, emergency vehicle operations, criminal law and community policing principles to prepare recruits for patrol duties.
Department officials said they look forward to the positive impact the new officers will bring to the department and the citizens of Southaven. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
Jon Ross Myers founded Mississippi News Group in 2013. Before founding the organization, he worked at The Daily Mississippian, The Marion Salute and The Southern Sentinel. A Mississippi journalist and writer based in Ripley, he received second place in poetry in the 2025 William Faulkner Literary Competition for "The Garden."
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